Oxycodone Tops Florida Prescription Drug Death List

Prescription drug overdoses killed nearly 1,270 people in Florida from January to June, a frightening rise of 10 percent over the previous six months.

And rather predictably, the highly addictive narcotic painkiller oxycodone topped the list of killer drugs, with more deaths than alcohol, cocaine and heroin combined.

Oxycodone is the active narcotic ingredient in the super-addictive and dangerous narcotic painkiller, OxyContin, responsible for record numbers of dependencies, addictions, injuries, ruined lives and overdose deaths in Florida, and across the U.S.

Florida’s oxycodone overdose deaths spiked 10.9 percent above the first six months of last year. A similar narcotic painkiller, hydrocodone, rose 4.1 percent over last year.

The interim report, titled “Florida Medical Examiners Commission Report on Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons”, from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), says prescription drugs are responsible for more deaths than all the illicit street drugs that most people associate with addiction and death. In fact, says the report, prescription drugs accounted for 81 percent of all drug occurrences.

These chilling statistics confirm that America’s prescription drug epidemic continues to rage out of control here in Florida. And they clearly illustrate the risk to the public of oxycodone and OxyContin, and the exploding need for more Florida oxycodone and OxyContin detox facilities.

Florida drug detox could have saved thousands of lives

According to the FDLE press release, the four drugs most frequently detected, but not labeled the main cause of death, were:

Heroin, says the report, continues to be the most lethal drug per capita, killing more people it touches than any other. The top four most lethal drugs, found to be the actual cause of death per capita, were:

Heroin — 83.3 percent of those with detectable heroin were killed by the heroin

Methadone — 75.5 percent of those with detectable methadone were killed by the methadone

Oxycodone — 64 percent of those with detectable oxycodone were killed by the oxycodone

Fentanyl — 52.5 percent of those with detectable fentanyl were killed by the fentanyl.

“It is no longer just illegal narcotics like cocaine and heroin being bought and sold on our streets. Drug dealers have made legal narcotics a top-shelf product,” said FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey. “Even when used correctly by a prescribing physician, these are potent drugs. When abused, overused and mixed, they can become deadly.”

In Florida, OxyContin detox at Novus is the wisest choice

OxyContin detox at Novus Medical Detox Center is the best choice you can make to begin your journey to a drug-free life.